Pages of Insanity
by DoraCatBuu
Summary: Giovanni is sent to get Mikami's notebook. But this time, when he touches it, he goes completely insane, thinking Near set him up for his ultimate downfall. Now he's out to keep Near from figuring out he killed X-Kira in a fit of paranoia. Will he win?


DISCLAIMER: I don't own Death Note. I don't know who does, but it's not me. SPK tried to arrest me, but without 100 percent proof of my crime, Near wouldn't make the arrest.

It was the night before New Year's as Giovanni stood in the locker room, lock pick in his hand as he stood just inches apart from Mikami's locker. His hands were shaking, covered in cold sweat as he took a step forward. Tonight, he'd touch the Death Note for the first time, and tonight, he might very well die from it. He remembered Near's warning well; bitterly, almost. He took a deep breath. If this was going to succeed, he couldn't afford to be terrified. But the mere thought, the mere idea of it actually happening... there were so many things Giovanni had wanted to do before he died, and as he came ever closer, he prayed that death wouldn't be the outcome. At least, not for him. He closed his eyes and kept breathing, reaching out with a sweaty hand toward the locker. The metal felt cool against his skin, but it made his heart pound faster. Any second, any measly second, his end might very well come.

"...why _am_ I doing this, anyway?" he asked himself, frowning as he stopped again, "Why am I taking orders from Near? Why at the cost of my life?" He looked down at the lock pick in his hand. Realistically, it made no sense whatsoever. So what if Near was a genius? So what if Near was _his boss_? Near was just a self-centered, emotionless brat who didn't give a crap about his employees. Giovanni's eye twitched as he said, "Well, it could be worse. I could be working for... what was that blonde guy's name that tried to shoot him? Mello? Yeah, I could be working for him. He _killed_ everyone he worked with." Though, considering that Giovanni's life was on the line, maybe it _wouldn't_ have been worse. Except that Mello didn't even know who the hell he _was_. He sighed. That was just his life. He'd be working _behind_ the scenes while Lidner and Rester took the glory. To him, it sucked.

Shoving the thought away, Giovanni focused at the task at hand, which consisted of breaking into a locker. It was such a simple task; Giovanni had mastered it when he was in high school, pranking all the football players he'd be forced to deal with. How sweet that'd been... until, of course, he graduated and the football players decided to fight back. Then came the downward spiral that inevitably led to him working with Near. Not that he made the connection, since there was none, but in his mind, as he stood there, recalling his days of old, those high-school days were the start of a pretty bad decline for him. Now, he was reduced to _picking locks_ for a _notebook_. And did that notebook even _do_ anything, or was Mello making shit up?

"...I guess we'll know in a few seconds," he shrugged, and leaned forward to put the pick into the lock, "Let's see... move this here... click this there... got it!" After a moment of jiggling the pick around, the lock clicked and the locker door swung open. Giovanni's mouth dropped open as he saw Mikami's briefcase, right there, just _waiting_ for him to steal it. He grinned. Maybe this wasn't a bad thing. He picked up the black briefcase and opened it, his eyes widening as the notebook came into view. It was just as Mello said: plain, black, unattractive, boring. Was it actually _the_ Death Note? Giovanni bit his lip. This _must've_ been a prank. The notebook was so... ordinary! He _had_ to see what was in it. He flipped it open, reading the first page. Names upon names of people were on there, some of the dates reaching all the way back to 2004. This was what Near wanted! Giovanni grinned and took out his camera, snapping a few shots. Then, he stopped. He heard footsteps outside. Scrambling, he stuffed the book back into the suitcase and threw the suitcase back into the locker, closing the door and bolting out right as Mikami came in. Mikami glanced at him, raising an amused brow at how flustered the younger man appeared, and as he left, Giovanni stopped, looking at Mikami's retreating back. Did he just... _stare_ at Giovanni?

"...he knows," he whispered, fear creeping into his voice, "He knows! Oh god, he knows! Damn it, he knows!!" Now he was getting panicked. He had to call Near! This was terrible! He rushed to the reception area, flying past other customers and trainers before nearly crashing into the little, old lady that worked at the counter as he shouted "Telephone! Please!!" The old lady blinked slowly, and looked up at him dully. He growled under his breath. What a time for the elderly to be working, _right when he needed help_. Then, slowly, ever so damn _slowly_, she reached out toward the receiver and handed it to him. His eye twitched, wishing she'd move just a little faster. Any second, Mikami would find out exactly what Giovanni just did, and Giovanni _had_ to stop that! He pounded the numbers for Near, and his heart raced as he heard the phone ring.

"Ah, Giovanni," came Near's voice, "Everything is going as planned, correct?"

"No it isn't!" Giovanni cried into the phone, unable to keep the unadulterated fear out of his voice, "I touched that book, and you want to know what happened!? _Mikami_ came into the room! Right after I touched it, I heard him! Near, I'm _dead_!" He waited for Near's calm, logical response, but it didn't come. At least, not for a few minutes. Giovanni twitched again. What was taking Near so long? Finally, his boss's voice spoke again, sounding almost amused with the situation.

"...clearly, you are speaking to me, therefore you haven't died, nor are you close to being killed," Near finally stated, "Did X-Kira do anything to insinuate a threat? Was there a shinigami?" Giovanni blinked, at first unable to understand Near's answer. Mikami _knew what was going on!_ That look in his eyes! It spelled of _knowledge_! Knowledge of _Giovanni_! And Near wasn't going to even listen to him, either!

"_HE LOOKED AT ME!_" Giovanni shrieked, shocking everyone else behind him, who were waiting to use the phone, "Near, there was this look in his eyes, this shifty look! He _knew_ what I did! He knows, and _I'm_ on the line here!" He prayed that Near would take a step away from logic and hold some form of compassion in his heart, but obviously no one liked Giovanni very much, because it just didn't happen.

"But did he _speak_ to you, Giovanni?" Near asked after a moment of silence. Giovanni was sure he'd be losing it soon.

"_HE DIDN'T HAVE TO!_" he screamed, causing more of the people behind him to nervously back away, "There was a connection when he looked at me, Near! It was like he was saying 'I see you and I know what you did, and now you get to die for it too.' Don't you get it!? My god, he's going to write my name down! Near, you have to help me!"

"...it is clear you need rest. Come back and take a day off," Near simply said, "Resume your work tomorrow." Then, he hung up. Giovanni's eyes widened in horror, and he dropped the phone. This wasn't just bad now; this was downright horrifying. Giovanni's skin paled, and slowly, he stalked toward the locker room again. Near wasn't going to be any help. He'd have to take matters into his own hands. And, as an SPK member, Giovanni knew just how to do that. And more importantly, he knew how to avoid the police to do it, too. Breathing hard, he took a bat out of a basket on his way back, and poked his head in. Mikami was sitting on the bench, with the suitcase. _And he was holding the notebook!_ Giovanni twitched. Now it wasn't just a fear. He _knew_ Mikami was going to write him down, despite Mikami not even knowing who the hell he was. He'd have to stop him! He crept closer, the bat held close in his hands.

"May I help you?" Mikami asked him without turning around. Now Giovanni panicked again. How did he know he was back there!? It didn't matter. All it took was one swing, and Ace Apollo's worst nightmare dropped dead. Giovanni screamed as he dropped the bat. He just _murdered_ a _Kira suspect_. Not to mention he was supposed to be stalking this man. What would Near say!? Near might very well kill _him_ if he found out!

"Then I guess he can't find out," Giovanni whispered, and snatched the notebook. He glanced at Mikami's form, lying on the tile floor, blood pooling around where Giovanni cracked him with the bat. Then he looked at the notebook. His eyes narrowed. If Mikami managed to live through it, he'd definitely tell Kira that Giovanni not only _stole_ from him, but also _assaulted_ him, too. And then he'd have _Kira_ tracking him down, too. He couldn't let that happen. Despite the fact that Mikami was already dead, Giovanni took out a pen and scribbled the man's name in the book, writing as many different ways to die as possible, so long as Mikami _stayed_ dead. When seven minutes passed and nothing happened, Giovanni just shivered, stuffing the notebook in his shirt.

"It's okay, Giovanni," he said to himself nervously, walking out of the locker room again, "Dead men tell no tales." As he passed the exercise equipment, though, Giovanni glanced and saw a woman looking at him, raising a curious brow. She heard the crack from the room beyond. And in Giovanni's mind, that meant she _knew_ he just murdered Mikami. He twitched. That meant another person would need to die, just so Kira and Near didn't find out what he did. He smiled and waved cheerily as he passed her, but what the woman failed to see was that he _looked at her name tag, too_. And as soon as he was at the reception desk, he sat on a bench and took out the notebook, looking around for any other witnesses he'd need to take care of. Only the elderly receptionist remained, and she had fallen asleep.

"Good. I didn't want to kill granny," Giovanni whispered, taking out his pen, "Okay, time to take care of that witness. Sorry, Suzan Johnson, but I can't let you tell Kira what I did, either." Then, he scribbled her name down, and ran when he heard screams of terror from the adjoining room. He didn't even stop to help the old man he knocked over, he just ran right out of the gym, trying to think of some place he could go to hide. He knew he couldn't go back to SPK. If Near found out he actually murdered Mikami, there was a good chance he'd be fired. And as crappy as his job was, he liked working. He thought about it for a minute. Rester would understand! Rester was the voice of reason! Giovanni took out his cell phone, eyes shining with hope. Until he remembered one fact.

"...Rester works for Near!" he cried, his hopes falling like dead flies, "And if he tells Near what I did, they'll fire me! They might even be conspiring against me _now_!" He shivered, eyes darting both ways as though he half-expected Rester to leap out of a bush and arrest him. Never mind the fact that Rester was miles away and didn't even know what Giovanni was doing. Rester was with _Near_, and that was all Giovanni needed to know to understand that asking the older man for help was the dumbest idea in the world. He put his cell phone away. Rester wasn't a safe member to go to. But maybe Lidner would be more trustworthy! She wasn't entirely on Near's side; she was leaking the guy's information to Mello, for crying out loud. And she was a _woman_. If she _didn't_ cooperate, Giovanni knew he could probably kick her. Or just write her name down. Instantly, his phone was in his hand again.

"Lidner will help me! She always knows what to do!" Giovanni declared, ignoring the stares he was getting from pedestrians as he opened his phone, "Besides, she was in the CIA. If someone comes after me, I can either make her shoot them, or blame what happened on her! What proof will _she_ have, anyway!?" He dialed her number quickly, and listened as it rang. It went on for minutes on end, and then it went to voice mail. Giovanni cursed. He _needed_ Halle's help, and he had no idea how to leave a message without telling her _exactly what he did_. But he had no time to think. Her phone was recording his ragged breath even then. So, he simply told her to find him as soon as possible, adding that it meant life or death if she didn't. He didn't mention it meant _her_ life or death, but he didn't feel she needed to know that. And, deciding that he was already looking suspicious, he just sat and waited. He didn't want to move in case someone somewhere knew what he did.

As Giovanni sat there, trying to clear his head over what happened as he waited for Halle to call him, he came to a realization that he hadn't seen when he first called her. _She_ might be plotting against him, too. That _had_ to be why she didn't answer her phone! She _knew_! Giovanni didn't know how she could possibly know, but in his mind, she really shouldn't have been away from her phone. Even if she were talking to Mello, she'd have seen he left a message. Hell, he had spoken so loudly enough that she'd have heard him ten miles away, and yet she hadn't even called him back. He shivered. If she told Near what he did, he was done for. But how could she even know? He shook his head. This wasn't right. Halle couldn't have possibly known he murdered Mikami. It was all in his head.

Except that as he looked down and saw that his cell phone had no waiting calls, he couldn't help but wonder what was keeping Halle. Normally, she was really good about keeping calls. How could she not respond to his? He was her _partner_! Her friend, even! And on a good day, sometimes they were as close as _husband and wife!_ And yet she wasn't even trying to call him. His eye twitched again, and he dialed her number. Again, it went to voice mail. And again, he stressed that his situation meant life or death. And when he hung up, his eye twitched violently. If she didn't show up soon, he'd probably end up strangling her when she did. It was a relief, ten minutes later, when her car came practically crashing into the gym to save his life. She hopped out of her car. Giovanni was happy to see she was alone.

"Giovanni!? What on earth is wrong?" she asked, running up the steps, past bewildered bystanders, "It sounded like you were dying when I heard my voice mail! Are you okay?"

"Why didn't you answer my calls!?" Giovanni immediately demanded, turning on her, "I _needed_ you, and you abandoned me, like we're not partners or anything! Didn't you _hear_ the distress in my voice?!" Halle stopped short, and her expression went flat. She had heard. And now she was wondering if she should be taking him seriously. He looked absolutely deranged right about then.

"I did. I couldn't answer. I was with Near," she replied simply. And then she noticed Giovanni twitching again. Without even waiting for her to speak, he grabbed her arm and began dragging her right back to her car. She tried to protest, but he held just one finger to her lips. She said nothing. He opened the passenger door and helped her in, then leapt into the driver's seat. Never mind that it was _her_ car. _He_ had to escape, and if he had to take her with him just so Near could never find him, then so be it. He'd deal with it, and so would she. When at last they were alone, she looked around and said, "What's going on, Giovanni?"

"I think Near and _Commander Rester_, if that's his REAL name, are plotting against me," Giovanni replied, and again she noticed his twitch, "I'm telling you, they know what I did!" Halle's expression suddenly went serious. Either Giovanni was actually telling the truth, or he was _really_ in need of a day off. Either way, he was her friend. Her male cohort. Hell, he even pretended to be her boyfriend a few times, too. She couldn't leave him all alone like that. She leaned closer, her voice growing softer as she spoke.

"Giovanni... what on earth did you do?" she asked, her voice holding genuine worry for him. His eyes widened in horror. Just moments ago, he suspected her of being in league with Near! Technically, they both still were... but could he trust her? What he was about to say was crucial. If Near found out, he was dead. And if _Mello_ found out, he was dead, and most likely, he'd lose Lidner to _him_. Giovanni's eye twitched as he remembered that she might even tell this to Mello. He had not one enemy, but two. The world was closing in around him as they spoke!

"I can't tell you! _THEY_ might find out!" he cried, shrinking away, "No... no, I can't say it!" Halle's frown worsened. This looked worse than she thought. She took his hand.

"Giovanni, we're friends. You can tell me anything," she replied. But he drew back, shaking his head.

"You'll tell Near!" he declared in terror. Halle sighed. She _wanted_ to tell Near that Giovanni was obviously an unstable man who needed to be hospitalized for some disease that hadn't surfaced until now, but she doubted Near would even listen to that. In _his_ mind, there was no such thing as a mental breakdown. He'd say it was all in Giovanni's head. She smiled at Giovanni.

"I promise I won't," she said gently. That seemed to be enough. Giovanni twitched again, wondering if Halle was serious or not. After all, she could just tell Mello. She never said _anything_ about _not_ telling him. But Giovanni had to risk that. Near probably wouldn't believe Mello, either.

"I killed Mikami and Suzy Johnson," he whispered, "With the Death Note." For a long minute, Halle just blinked. She didn't think she could take him seriously. Surely, that was a joke. Mikami was a _suspect_. Near had worked long and hard to secure him, and likewise, Giovanni worked even longer, and nearly a hundred times as hard, to catch Mikami. Why the hell would he blow it so marvelously? She shook her head.

"Be serious, Giovanni," she said sternly, "I don't like games."

"I _am_ serious! I killed them! Look!" He took out the Death Note and showed her the last page he'd written on. Indeed, it had Mikami's name, along with Suzy Johnson. Her eyes widened. So he hadn't been lying. She looked up from the book, and at him. He nodded, holding it closer to her.

"Why did you kill them?" she whispered. If she was going to get some answers, she couldn't be threatening. Giovanni bit his lip, his twitch becoming nearly permanent at that point. Then he put the notebook down and grabbed her shoulders, eyes watering.

"They _knew!_" he hissed. Pity welled up in her now. Truly, Giovanni had jumped off a gorge and landed on too many rocks on his way down. This made such little sense to her. Then again, most of what Giovanni did sometimes made little sense to her. But this was serious. He actually _murdered_ people. And worse off, it was _against_ Near's orders. He might very well fire Giovanni. And even if he wasn't conspiring to take the poor man down, she kind of began to understand why her friend was getting so paranoid. And now she _knew_ she couldn't leave him alone. Not only was he clearly going off the deep end, but she had to help him before going to anyone else about this. Taking a deep breath, she slid over into the driver's seat, next to Giovanni. The man was too freaked out to notice that she had to practically sit in his lap so she could drive him to her apartment. She would've gone back to his place, except she had no idea where he even lived, nor did she think he'd have decent living quarters anyway. Giovanni wasn't the neatest person on the team. As she turned on the ignition, she tried her best not to squish Giovanni as she tried to pull out of the parking lot. He wasn't going to move, and she was pretty sure he couldn't be trusted to drive.

"There, there. It'll be okay," she said, as she pulled sloppily onto the street and drove down, "I'm going to take you back to my house and we're going to fix this, okay? No one will hurt you." Unfortunately, her soothing words just didn't appear to be working on Giovanni. He just looked at her for a moment. In his mind, he couldn't believe she was taking him to her home! _Anyone_ could've been there! No, not anyone. There was one person who might be there: Mello. Giovanni twitched again. Mello, aside from Near and Rester, was the last person he wanted to see. He pulled her hair.

"_WHAT!?_ You can't go _THERE!_" he screamed, "He'll find me! They'll all find me! Lidner, you can't! Please, don't do it!" Halle just sighed. If she had any hope of helping her friend, she'd have to be absolutely silent unless she wanted to set him off. So, for the rest of the ride, she said absolutely nothing. Giovanni, on the other hand, took to sitting next to her and murmuring about how he was sure Near was watching them _right then_, and how Near seemed to be both nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Halle _wanted_ to say that was physically impossible, but something told her Giovanni wouldn't hear of it.

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived outside of Lidner's apartment complex. Giovanni's mood hadn't improved, either. He slunk behind Halle as she opened the front door, and she noticed he kept looking over his shoulder as they walked down the hall, toward her rooms. And, when she finally opened the door to her apartment, he practically threw a fit about it, too. He blocked the door, eye twitching again as he remembered that Near had the place bugged... and had yet to remove said bugs. If they walked in, he'd _see_ them! Giovanni couldn't let that happen!

"_DON'T GO IN THERE!_" he shrieked, diving and grabbing her leg, "_HE'S_ in there!" Whether or not he meant Mello or Near, Halle didn't know. And she wasn't sure it mattered. In Giovanni's deranged mind, the two might even be one and the same to him. She sighed again, and ignoring his protests, walked right into her apartment. Giovanni whimpered, following her so she didn't get too far away. Her place looked relatively nice, and as he took inventory of every window, door, cabinet, and closet, he saw there was no one in the room with them. That relieved him, except that he knew they still weren't safe. Near was probably watching them _this very instant_ on one of his millions of televisions.

"Do you want a drink Giovanni?" Halle asked, moving toward the kitchen. But the only thing Giovanni was thirsty for was freedom. Yet he couldn't just leave Halle there. She said she'd help him. And she could be trusted... right? He sat on the couch and decided that if Near was going to watch them, he'd prove there was no reason to even _suspect_ him. He smiled broadly and shook his head.

"No thanks, Lidner. I don't want to be drunk for when I go back to work," he said calmly. Halle blinked. Just moments ago, the guy was saying he was _sure_ Near was planning his demise _that very second_. Why was he so calm now? She poked her head out of the doorway, looking at him as he sat on her couch. He looked sane for now. But something told her he wasn't.

"Giovanni, dear, I know you're really into work, but I don't think you're fit to go back to work right now," she replied, and now Giovanni realized he hit a snag with pretending to play it cool, "You just said you were sure Near was going to fire you." Giovanni shook his head violently and made a 'time out' gesture with his hands, hoping Halle wizened up. If Near heard this, he was through! Unfortunately, Halle understood it too late. Her face blanched and she ducked back into the kitchen. Giovanni was partly glad he left the notebook in her car now; if he had it, he'd have probably written her name in it. His eye twitched, wondering if there was a way he could secretly sneak into her car and off her while she made her drinks. Then he remembered Near. Near was still watching them. Near had heard. Near had to die.

"Why would I fire you, Giovanni?" came Near's voice through one of the bugs, "It would not benefit either of us to fire you, and I doubt highly that you would want to work at the Seven-Eleven down the road." Giovanni felt his eye twitch for the millionth time that day. He _really_ wished he could just go out into Halle's car and write Near down. Unfortunately, he didn't even know Near's real name. And thanks to a young woman named Linda, he knew Near definitely was a fake name. And a stupid one, too. He stuffed his hands in his pocket. There'd be time for death later. Right then, he had to play it cool.

"Well... I... just thought the quality of my work was slipping. That's all," Giovanni said, "You know, I haven't gotten the death note yet. And I certainly don't have it hiding in Lidner's car or anything." At that, Near just took a long, painful pause. And that was precisely when Giovanni realized the true flaw of his decided speech. He just _told Near where the notebook was!_ And he did it by _lying_! Near was a genius, it wouldn't take long at all to figure out the secret behind Giovanni's not-so-subtle message. That nailed it then. Near _definitely_ had to die. But the only problem now was getting the notebook. If Giovanni just up and left, Near would probably catch on and have Rester detain him. But just then, Near spoke again.

"Getting hold of the death note will be difficult, even for you," the boy said calmly, "No, I did not expect you to get the notebook. We are not behind. Do not worry so much, Giovanni." Giovanni _wanted_ to give a sigh of relief, but he _got_ the message underneath Near's words. _Do not worry so much_ could've easily meant _I know what you did_ in Giovanni's warped mind. He just gave a grin and nodded. There was no need to let Near know that Giovanni knew.

"Got it, Near!" he said cheerfully, "I'll be back to work after Halle and I chat for a bit!" Near went dead after that, so Giovanni thought he must've stopped watching them. Or was currently planning their demise. Giovanni's eye twitched. If the latter were the case, Near _had_ to die. There was no question. And, Giovanni knew how to stall. Now he was glad Mello did all the crazy stuff he did in the mafia. Thanks to Sayu's kidnapping, Giovanni understood the basics of blackmail. If he got something Near valued, Near _couldn't_ destroy him. And there was something he could use _right there_. The question was, how much did Near value Halle?

"Giovanni, I'm coming out!" Halle called, and that's when Giovanni's plan sprung. Now he'd see just how willing _Near_ was to stick his neck out for the notebook. As Halle opened the door to her kitchen, bringing out a tray with two glasses, Giovanni leapt from the couch and lunged at Halle. The two collided with a thud, and the drinks smashed right into the wall. Halle struggled, but it didn't take long for Giovanni to detain her, holding her in a half-nelson. He stood up, which forced her to stand as well. Angrily, she snarled, "What the hell is _wrong_ with you!? What are you doing!?"

"Buying my insurance policy," Giovanni replied grimly, and went right to where the bugs would spot him perfectly, "_NEAR!_ We need to talk!" Almost immediately, he heard a disgruntled sigh. Good, let the little brat get mad at him.

"What is it now, Giovanni?" came the equally disgruntled voice. Giovanni just grinned. This would go perfectly, he was sure. With Halle in his grip, Near would _never_ try and kill him now!

"I just want you to know that I'm kidnapping Halle and we're not going back to your stupid, little tower," he said with absolute confidence, "I know what you're going to do, and I have a perfect way to counter you. Let's see your genius in action _now_." Halle just stared at him as though he'd gone completely mental. Which he probably had, at that point. She shook her head. Whatever crazy ideas were running through Giovanni's mind, they'd never work on Near. Unless, of course, Near didn't think Halle was important. Halle opened her mouth to speak, but Near beat her to it. He sounded completely disinterested, too.

"I highly doubt that I wish to know what you're thinking, Giovanni. Therefore, I will pretend you didn't say any of that. Now get some rest and stop disturbing me," the boy said, and Giovanni's mouth dropped. _THAT_ was Near's response to Halle being _abducted_? To act _completely obnoxious_? No wonder Mello hated him so much; chances were, if Mello made any little discovery that _he_ felt was important, Near would basically act the same way he did now. Like an asshole. Giovanni _wanted_ to tell Near how very stupid he was being, but at that point, he heard something click off. Which meant Near wasn't watching, and hadn't taken him seriously. Halle took the moment to wrestle out of Giovanni's grip, and flipped him onto the floor. He crashed right into the coffee table.

"What the hell was that about, you idiot!?" she demanded angrily, finally deciding that Giovanni didn't really need her pity, "Are you _trying_ to get us both fired!?"

"I'm _trying_ to save us from whatever that little nutcase is going to do!" Giovanni cried back in defense, struggling to get off his back from her flip, "Don't you see!? He's going to kill us now and the silence proves it!" Halle just stood there for what felt like a very long minute and blinked. All the silence proved was that Giovanni managed to piss Near off enough to allow Halle some privacy. She would've thanked him, except he threw her right into the fire with him. She shook her head again. She knew she shouldn't have answered his frantic call. Sighing, she went toward her bathroom. Drinks wouldn't help with what happened, but a nice shower just might. She turned just once to look at Giovanni, who had finally crawled out of the splintered remains of her table.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, but I like working," she said shortly, "Now, I'm going to take a shower. Sit down and don't touch anything until I get out, okay?" With that, she disappeared into the room and slammed the door. Giovanni's face blanched, and he practically crashed into her couch. Now he was at a loss. Near could be doing anything, and he had nothing to fight with. Halle hadn't turned out to be a very good hostage at all. Or maybe Mello's kidnapping went similar to this; after all, Sayu eventually was rescued, too. Giovanni's eye twitched. Mello... When Mello had stayed here, he stayed in the bathroom, and that was exactly where Halle just went. Giovanni stood up, his face white at this point. For all he knew, Halle was talking to Mello _right then and there_! He rushed up to the bathroom, and pressed an ear to the door. Immediately, he understood his cause for concern as he heard Halle speaking.

"I'm a barbie giiiirl, in a barbie woooorld. Wrapped in plastic, it's fantastic!" Giovanni didn't know what form of diabolical chanting that was supposed to be, but it had to be stopped. Halle could be casting spells on him! He'd read once that evil witches looked like pretty girls. And he did think Halle was pretty. But being pretty wouldn't help her. He threw himself out the window, James Bond style, and landed safely next to her car. Throwing the front door open, he took out the death note. So much for having a nice partner. He searched the car for a pen, but all he found was a mascara brush in the front compartment. He shrugged. As long as it could write stuff, he was fine with it. Dipping it in the mascara powder, he scribbled Halle's name down, both alias and real. Then, he closed the door and rushed right back to the apartment. If Near decided to come back and see what was going on, Giovanni certainly didn't want to explain why he wasn't there at all. Not that he could explain why Halle was dead, but if he had to, he'd lie.

The apartment was exactly as he left it: quiet, dim, and half-destroyed from when he tackled Halle over. He could still hear the water running in the shower, though he noted that it sounded more like a faint dripping than an actual shower. He stalked toward the door. Halle wasn't singing any longer. Giovanni couldn't help but smile. Now he was safe. Quietly, he opened the door to the bathroom. And that was when he nearly had a heart attack himself. Halle was lying right there, on the floor, in a towel, dead. His beloved partner, the one person who had actually tried to help him, and he just killed her. He knelt down and gently touched her forehead. She didn't stir.

"I'm sorry, Halle," he said calmly, "But I couldn't let them find me." Then, he gently closed the door and let her body be. Looking around, he realized he just put himself into an even bigger jam; once it came to be two days and neither he nor Halle returned, Near was going to figure out what happened. Killing Halle really did only make things worse. Giovanni shivered as he walked back to the couch and sat down. Any moment, he'd hear Near's voice through the intercom. He quickly looked around the apartment again, wondering what he could do to rid himself of his problems. Getting rid of the damned note seemed to be the best way, but if anyone else found it, they'd probably recognize his handwriting. Never mind that no one really knew who Giovanni, Halle, Mikami, or Suzy Johnson were; as long as the note was around, he was a dead man anyway. But just where was he supposed to hide the notebook!? Where was he even supposed to go?

"...I guess I can just stay here and use her apartment as a fortress," he said with a shrug, and left it at that as he slid the notebook under her couch. Then, he got to work on his new fortress. Any second, Near might come back, and he knew he had to be prepared. Near was a genius. It wouldn't take long to call her phone, send Mello over, and find out she was dead. Giovanni wanted a good arsenal to kill anyone that Near sent to retrieve the body. Unfortunately, Halle didn't look like she kept many firearms in her place, so he had to make do with pillows, cushions, furniture, and things you'd find in every perfectly normal household. Why couldn't Halle be more like Mello and keep all of her weapons in her house every single second of the day, just in case shit like this happened!?

An hour later, Giovanni found himself in what he considered to be a moderately-armed fortress of death. He had taken all of Halle's towels, save for the one she was wearing, and stuffed them all under the front door in case anyone tried to enter. Then, to be safe, he took her pillows and created a huge, fluffy wall directly behind the door to further complicate any of Near's rescue attempts. He also made sure to block the windows with the couch cushions. Not only did this make it hard to enter through said windows, it pretty much cut off any outside light, too. Giovanni was forced then to work in the dark; he didn't want to turn on the lights in case Near decided to watch the apartment, and could see him. But Giovanni didn't mind. He'd do anything to thwart Near and his non-existent rescue mission.

Walking into the kitchen, Giovanni then took inventory of the little bit of weaponry he did find. Mainly, that was any kitchen knife Halle happened to actually own. He took some and stuck them in his belt. Then he went to search for some armor. But Halle didn't have anything from the medieval era, so in the end, he made do with a pot for a helmet and a trash can lid for a shield. Then, shrugging, he took a chef's knife to use as a very small sword. Feeling adequately equipped for close-range combat, Giovanni then walked into Halle's bedroom to see what else he could employ to protect himself from what he felt was a full-on threat. Her bedroom looked normal; a nice bed, a dresser stuffed with women's clothing, a closet with shoes, and a clock. Which was ticking very loudly. Giovanni watched it for a moment, eye twitching as he heard the seconds tick away. Any louder, and he _knew_ Near would hear it. Near would count down the seconds and wonder why Halle didn't return. That clock was Giovanni's downfall. Giovanni sprung, grabbed the clock, ripped it off the dresser, and threw it right out the window, where it beamed a little boy on the head before it ticked no longer. Then he slammed the window, hoping no one saw what he just did. Not that it mattered. With the death note in his hands, he could just kill whoever came by... provided that they had a name tag on them somewhere.

"I honestly don't see how Kira hasn't gone insane from that stupid note!" Giovanni finally cried, sitting on the bed, "It's hard to keep everyone from knowing that I _just killed three people with it!_ Seriously, is Kira even human!?" He wiped the sweat from his brow. Truly, Kira must've been a god to be able to handle such a tool. Getting up from the bed, Giovanni went back out to the living room. Halle wasn't likely to have anything useful in her room to fight with, and he didn't want to stay there too long in case someone happened to see him. He looked around at his handiwork again. The wall of pillows was holding up nicely, but it was getting too dark to see; if he knocked it over, his fortress would be breached. So, he risked turning on a light. And as if that somehow alerted Near, the intercom turned on again.

"Giovanni, I can't reach Lid...ner..." Near's voice slowed as he spoke, "...Giovanni, what are you doing? You look ridiculous." For once, Near sounded thoroughly confused. Which was just perfect. Let him get caught off guard for once. Then again, Giovanni did understand the boy's point. He _was_ wearing a pot on his head, and he did use black lipstick for war markings, after all. He glanced around quickly. There was no need to attract unwanted attention. He grinned.

"Halle and I are playing," he lied, as if it were perfectly normal for two grown adults to play dress-up, "We're playing Capture the Flag." Unfortunately, Near didn't buy that. And his tone said so clearly.

"You are wearing a pot on your head, and you have a wall of pillows in front of you," Near observed flatly, "It looks more like you are creating a public hazard." Giovanni twitched again. Near played with toys and games _every second of the day_, and here he was _judging_ Giovanni! As if he were _better_ than the man! Giovanni's brows creased in agitation.

"It's a very extreme game, Near!" he snapped, "Just ask Halle!" He realized too late the mistake with that suggestion. Halle was currently lying in her bathroom, dead. He silently cursed. Near was a step closer to figuring that out, he knew. If possible, Near's voice went even flatter. Obviously, he felt Giovanni was a moron.

"I can't reach her," the boy said again, "She isn't picking up, which I find very suspicious. Have you heard from her?" Giovanni's plan was going to fall apart any second. His face paled and he shook his head.

"Nope! Not at all!" he stammered, "I heard absolutely nothing from my partner! There's no corpse in the bathroom! What!?" For just that second, Near blinked. He had no idea what in hell was wrong, but Giovanni was on the verge of cracking like an egg. Likewise, Giovanni knew that if he didn't get rid of Near soon, he'd doom himself to a fate worse than death. A fate called 'prison.' And Near, unfortunately, was the judge. And his next sentence determined the verdict.

"I am sending Mello down to contact her," he stated calmly, twisting a lock of hair nonchalantly, "Do be aware. I know you do not like him." The intercom clicked off. And Giovanni now understood he was doomed. Mello was coming down _to find Halle_. And if he succeeded, he'd know Giovanni killed her. There wasn't really evidence pointing to that, but Mello was nearly as smart as Near! He wouldn't _need_ evidence to deduce that the notebook was involved! Giovanni was now on the verge of absolute panic. He had to kill Mello now, too. But how? The man was a trained hitman; he could probably shoot Giovanni from ten miles away. While _moving_. And that took skill. Giovanni fled to the one place he felt safest. Behind his wall of fluffy pillows. And he waited. He didn't have to wait long. Twenty minutes later, he heard heavy boots stomping down the hall. And he heard not one voice, but two. And unless there were two Mellos, that couldn't be right.

"Matt, seriously, stop playing Castlevania and pay attention! We'll go rob Gamestop after we find Lidner," Mello said, just outside of the door. Then Giovanni heard the doorknob turn, and the door creaked open, but just for an inch. Then it stopped abruptly, the towels keeping it from opening any further as Mello said, "What the hell!? Lidner, open the door!" Giovanni didn't budge. If he opened the door, Mello would kill him. But if he didn't, Mello might kill him anyway, if he managed to get past the pillows. He simply waited as Mello finally lost it and said, "_LET ME IN OR I'M BUSTING THE DAMN DOOR DOWN!_" He didn't even give Giovanni five seconds to respond before the door fell with a mighty crash, shaking the foundation of the complex in one swoop. When the dust cleared, Mello stood in the doorway, silhouetted in shadow. Only his eyes were visible. To Giovanni, they looked like blue orbs of death.

"Dude, do you have to be so dramatic?" Matt asked, looking up from his DS as they walked into the apartment, "...are you sure this is the right place?" Mello seemed just as flabbergasted as he beheld the giant wall of pillows, along with the cushions that had been stuffed into the window frames. His mouth dropped. It looked like a bomb tore this place apart. Except, he noticed the furniture seemed relatively unharmed, save for the splintered remains of the coffee table. He pointed toward the back.

"I'm going to check her bedroom and see if she's asleep. You check out here, and if you want, go in the bathroom," Mello instructed. Matt gave a salute, and the two went separate ways. Giovanni shrank back as first Mello stormed past, and then Matt stalked behind him, hanging a left to head into the bathroom. Obviously, Matt wasn't going to do a good job of checking out the living room. And that just gave Giovanni an advantage as he reached under the couch for the notebook. Then he stopped. Not only did he not know Matt's name, but Matt might actually make a good hostage. And so would Mello, if Giovanni managed to pull this off right. He grinned. Near definitely wouldn't find out what happened if he held his _rivals_ captive! Giovanni slowly stood and listened. From the sound of it, Matt was trying valiantly to unlock the bathroom, and Mello was trashing Halle's room to look for her. They were both equally distracted, but for safety's sake, Giovanni went after Matt first. Matt didn't have a pistol on him at every second. At least, Giovanni hoped he didn't, as he slowly crept toward the bathroom, behind the unsuspecting red-head.

Matt never even had a chance. As Giovanni came up from behind and clamped his mouth shut, that was something he was sure of: that Matt had no idea what was even happening. And for once in his warped mind, Giovanni was right. Matt yelped as they struggled, but in the end, Giovanni had a quick victory. Mainly because he managed to accidentally hit Matt with his trash can lid, thusly making the boy fall over. And he fell with such force that the bathroom door gave way and flew open. Giovanni winced. He was sure that the excessive noise had alerted Mello, but if it had, the blonde didn't care to see if his friend was all right. Giovanni shrugged and picked Matt up. As long as it made this easier, who was he to argue? Unfortunately, he hadn't counted on Matt being fully conscious. And Matt saw Halle's body.

"Dude, what the hell are you doing!?" Matt asked angrily, brows creased as Giovanni more or less tried to drag him into the living room, "...OH MY GOD, IS THAT A CORPSE!?" Giovanni growled. Damned hostages never made anything easy. He'd have to find a way to get Matt's name later. Matt just stared, not even bothering to struggle anymore as he asked, "Why the hell do you have a _corpse_ in the bathroom!?"

"I'm a mortician," Giovanni grumbled irritably, hoping to all hell that Matt would just shut up. The red-head shrugged, somehow thinking that was a logical answer to the corpse.

"Okay! As long as... wait a minute!" Unfortunately, that logic didn't last long as Matt finally put two and two together, "...MELLO, I FOUND HALLE'S BODY!" Giovanni twitched again. _Now_ he was dead. With no other alternative, he slammed the trash can lid into Matt's head again, and Bill Nye's best buddy went down. But it was already too late. At that second, Mello burst out of Halle's room like a one-man swat team. And he didn't look too pleased to see Matt unconscious. Nor did he seem too happy to see Giovanni with the weapon that did it, either. He took out his pistol.

"You hit my _most desired partner!_ Prepare to _die_, bitch!" Mello yelled. But Giovanni wasn't about to let him win. He closed his eyes, and prayed that he watched enough Batman to know how to throw a Batmerang. He threw his trash can lid true, and it flew through the air, just like Batman's most trusted weapon. And it slammed Mello right in the head, too. Willy Wonka's worst nightmare shared a similar fate to Matt's as he crashed ungracefully to the floor. Now all that was left was to get Near's full attention to the crisis of the situation. Giovanni walked into the living room, making sure to avoid the spots the bugs filmed. He wasn't prepared to tell Near that he disabled Matt and Mello; the boy might not even believe him, anyway. He'd have to do something a bit more dramatic. But there wasn't a need to write in the notebook _just_ yet. He didn't know their names, anyway. He glanced around nervously. For now, he was at a standstill.

"Okay, Giovanni... no need to panic," Giovanni said to himself, even though he was beyond the point of insanity, "There's nothing wrong with having a corpse and two unconscious geniuses in your fortress! Just as long as Near doesn't..."

"What was that crash?" came the voice Giovanni hated so much. He silently cursed, knowing that somehow, somewhere, Near had omni-presence. How _else_ did he know that _something happened_!? "Giovanni, what on earth is going on?" The only good thing was that Near didn't sound too interested in Giovanni's answer. The man glared up at the bug. From Near's vantage, he couldn't even see behind the fluffy wall. It wouldn't take much to knock the damn contraption down. Except that then Near would _definitely_ know something wasn't right. Giovanni refrained.

"I... uh..." Unfortunately, Giovanni was running out of lies. If Near saw Halle's apartment daily, he knew what she owned. If Giovanni named something she clearly didn't have, Near would tag it.

"I will assume that it is unimportant. As soon as Mello arrives, do give me a call," Near instructed, and with that, the intercom clicked off again. Giovanni grinned, wondering just how such a disinterested little brat like Near managed to succeed L. Then he let it pass. He had a perfect way to let Near know he meant business. Mello and Matt were _right there_, and they were _unconscious_. Halle made a shitty hostage. But Mello might actually get Near's attention. Giovanni wasted no time. He leapt from the wall to the kitchen, crashing through the door as he flew. Opening every drawer, and practically throwing the contents across the room, Giovanni located only one thing that constituted as a rope: a _jump_ rope. He had no idea why Halle would even own one, but he shrugged. As long as it was long enough to tie up two underweight, slender, young men, he was perfectly fine with it. And as he ran back into the living room, that was exactly what he did: tie both Matt and Mello up to a chair. Then, he sat down. At that point, there wasn't much else to do except wait. Near wasn't coming back, and it looked like it might take some time for his new hostages to wake up.

Luckily, Giovanni didn't need to wait too long before Matt started stirring. Unfortunately, at that point, Giovanni had other needs to attend to, so Matt woke up just as he left for the bathroom. And the red-head wasn't exactly thrilled to find he was tied to a chair, nor was he happy to see Mello joined him. He looked around. Giovanni was gone for the moment. Matt shifted uncomfortably until he found the knot at the back of the chair. It was tied over five times. Whoever kidnapped him was _serious_ about this. Matt didn't even know what he did to deserve being kidnapped.

"Mel? Dude, get up!" he hissed, hoping that Mello could hear him, "Dude, I think we've been kidnapped!"

"Gee, whatever gave you _that_ idea, Matt!?" came the sarcastic, annoyed reply. Matt shrugged. If Mello wanted to be a jerk, he could just leave the blonde there as he made his escape. Except that he loved Mello too much to do that. He turned a little to try and look at his best friend.

"The fact that we're tied to a chair tipped me off," he stated casually, "Did you know the knot's tied like, ten million times? What the hell did we do, anyway?" Mello looked around curiously. Matt did have a point. They hadn't actually done anything to warrant capture. But he noticed they were still in Halle's apartment. And with the lights on, he saw the place looked like a tornado had blown through it. And that obviously, someone liked fluffy pillows, too. He blinked profusely. This wasn't what Halle's apartment looked like when he hid there.

"I think Lidner went ballistic," Mello commented in amusement, smirking, "I wonder if Near finally drove the poor woman off the cliff." Matt shrugged again, at first dismissing the statement, since he didn't know Halle. Then he remembered something important: her corpse. Which was still in the bathroom. As was the crazy person who hit him in the first place. Matt's goggles fell off his face. That was more than coincidence!

"Oh yeah! Now I remember what it was I wanted to tell you!" he exclaimed happily, "Dude, I found Lidner's corpse in the bathroom." Mello growled, at first not believing a word out of Matt's mouth. Then he stopped himself, and quickly snapped around to stare at the boy, wide-eyed.

"_WHAT!?_" he shrieked, "Lidner's _DEAD!?_" Matt nodded, and Mello furiously screamed, "_THIS SUCKS!_ Now I'll never beat Near and _prove I'm the best!_" Never mind that one of his few friends were dead. Mello thrashed and bopped around in the seat angrily, unable to believe that once again, through circumstances Near didn't even know about, Near had won. And he made such a ruckus that Giovanni practically burst out of the bathroom. Mello stopped and just stared. The man still had a pot on his head, after all. And he didn't look happy, either.

"What are you two doing!?" Giovanni demanded, "Stop moving! You're supposed to be unconscious, damn it!" Mello just stared flatly for a long second. He wasn't entirely sure how a hostage was _supposed_ to feel, but he had a feeling this wasn't it. Sayu certainly was terrified when _he_ kidnapped _her_. But then again, Mello was good at kidnapping. It was clear Giovanni wasn't.

"You're seriously trying to _kidnap_ us?" Mello asked, as Matt said, "Dude, you tied us up with a jump rope. How professional did you think this _was_?" Giovanni shivered. He should've known Mello would make a terrible hostage. Perking a brow, Mello asked, "Why the hell did you kill Lidner, anyway?"

"Because..." Giovanni began darkly, and looked at Mello, "She knew." Mello waited for more to come, but Giovanni didn't speak again. He risked a glance at Matt, who was currently trying to pick up his goggles with his boots. All he really managed to do was crush them, much to his dismay. Mello went from Matt, to Giovanni.

"What did she know?" he asked the older man. Giovanni regarded Mello carefully. This was the same man who lived in Halle's apartment. _His partner's apartment_, for nearly a _month_! But there was something in Mello that made Giovanni want to tell him everything. Which he did.

"I killed Mikami and Suzy Johnson," he said again, just as darkly, "With the death note." Mello's eyes widened again. No wonder he killed Halle, then. If Mello hadn't been tied up, he'd have given the man a high-five. Or shot him. Either way, now that the notebook was close, he was going to get it. But only if he got out of the chair, first. He took a deep breath. This would require some patience if he expected to win Giovanni's trust.

"But why kidnap _us!?_" Matt interrupted, before Mello could speak, "Dude, when Near finds out what you did, you're dead!" Giovanni frowned. Matt had a point. Now he finally hit _another_ snag in his plan. Giovanni twitched. If Matt spilled the beans, he was dead. He leapt for the notebook. And that's when Mello screamed. For once in his life, he screamed for the one person he hated, the one who caused him so much pain and torment. The very _bane_ of Mihael Keehl's existence.

"_NEAR!!!_" Mello screamed, just as Giovanni got the notebook, "_GET OUT HERE! YOUR EMPLOYEE'S A FUCKING PSYCHO! HE..._" Mello didn't finish his sentence, because Giovanni just wrote down his name, having found it previously from when Soichiro nearly wrote it down. A comet came out of nowhere and smashed right into Mello; the resounding shards of fire took Matt out as well, along with half of Halle's apartment, too. It was nice collateral damage. Except that it _definitely_ caught Near's attention. Giovanni froze when he heard the click of the intercom. That was both what he wanted, and the exact opposite of what he wanted at the same time.

"Giovanni! What on earth..." Near didn't finish his sentence as Rester came on and screamed, "What the fuck happened there!?" Silence reigned; Matt and Mello's charred remains were both fully visible, as was the resounding damage from Giovanni's accidental use of a Meteor spell. Rester didn't actually need to ask the question. The fact that Giovanni was _alive_ when everything else was clearly dead spoke volumes. At least, it did for Near. He twirled a lock of white hair in his fingers.

"Is it not obvious? He's set Halle's building on fire," Near said calmly, almost gratingly so, "From my observation, and the look of it, he used the death note to kill Mello in such a way as to not alert me to the fact that he indeed did it. But no one outside of an _Esper_ can summon meteors, and even so, Giovanni would not be standing if he manually cast it. Therefore, he has used the book and killed Mello. I also assume he knows why Lidner won't respond." Giovanni's mouth dropped open, unable to believe that Near actually managed to somehow guess all of that. From _his_ vantage point, it looked like the place was set on fire, and for all Near knew, Giovanni just happened to walk in after the fire was contained. Except there was no fire to back this theory up. Nor was there an Esper to blame the meteor on, either. Giovanni knew he was defeated, without knowing just how Near defeated him. Rester looked down at Near.

"Please tell me she's still alive," the good commander said almost flatly, as though he didn't even believe what Near said. Which he probably didn't. Near twirled another lock of hair.

"I'm afraid she is not," the boy said with the same irritating calm, "If she were alive, wouldn't Mello have been able to verify that?"

"But... but _why_?" Rester asked, eyes wide as he stared from Near, to the monitors, "Giovanni, why did you do it!?" Near looked at the monitor knowingly. Giovanni didn't need to see him to understand the boy already knew what he had done. He shivered. Ironically, if he had just let Mikami live, Near probably wouldn't have figured anything out. At the very least, Giovanni wouldn't have felt as though the boy was trying to kill him.

"Because I know what you're going to do with that book," he whispered, and Rester rose a brow, "I know you know I used the book, so I killed Mikami, Halle, Mello, and Suzy Johnson so they didn't tell you I had it. I've known all along that you and Rester had it out for me. Oh, sure, always send _Giovanni_ out there to risk his neck for Kira. Make _Giovanni_ follow X-Kira everywhere he goes. He won't mind! He's not even a commander like _Rester_ is!" Rester looked down at Near again, silently making the notion that Giovanni finally snapped. Near just blinked. For once, his logic failed him. He couldn't even begin to understand just why Giovanni thought this was the way to go. Or how it even happened to begin with. He shook his head. So many things were coming into his mind to say, but not one seemed to even remotely fit the situation. He finally sighed. Even if he assured Giovanni, the man had obviously jumped the gorge of insanity.

"I do not know why you assumed such a thing, but you were wrong," Near began, thinking that perhaps being blunt was best, "As soon as you return, Giovanni, I will remove you from your post. Bring the notebook with you as well." Giovanni blanched. Considering what happened, that wasn't nearly as bad as he thought. But what if Near was luring him in!? Giovanni shook his head and clutched the notebook even tighter, backing away.

"No! I know what you'll do! I know you'll kill me!" Giovanni cried, "I won't do it! I'll get you first!" Near blinked in confusion as Giovanni suddenly ran for Halle's room. Then he heard the sound of a computer turning on, and he knew what was coming. He turned quickly to Rester; if he was right, which he normally was, he had about three minutes before he was killed. He prayed Giovanni didn't know what Wammy's House was.

"Rester, go and stop him!" Near cried out for once, terror seizing the small boy, "He's logging onto Wammy's! He'll find my..." Near's eyes widened, and he toppled over suddenly and silently, crashing into his train set. Rester screamed in horror as blood dripped out of Near's mouth, but the boy made no sounds, no gasps of agony. He died peacefully. Which meant Giovanni found his name and wrote it down. Rester could scarcely believe it, as he looked back at the monitor. Giovanni just came out of Halle's room. And he had the notebook. He looked around the apartment. All was silent; all was dead. The fires from the meteor stopped burning, and darkness began to settle into the half-destroyed apartment. Giovanni blinked, and looked at the notebook. He had done it. All of it. He killed Mello. He killed Matt. And he was sure he killed Near, too. He had killed all three successors, all in a matter of minutes. He had won. At first, Rester was sure the man had realized the true terror of what he'd done, but when he saw Giovanni grin, he knew that wasn't so. And he fled, unable to stay for fear Giovanni would kill him next.

"I... I did it," Giovanni whispered, as he held the notebook up, "I did it! I defeated Near! I defeated _all_ of them! Now _none_ of them will try to kill me!" With that, Giovanni knelt and began laughing hysterically, a laughter that would surely freeze Kira's blood, should Kira himself have heard it. He laughed until it rang out of the ruins of the apartment, and into the street. And as he stood up, standing in the middle of the destruction he created, a new threat that was even more dangerous than Kira was born as he held the notebook. And knowing that he just killed the only people even remotely capable of catching Kira, Giovanni walked out of the ruins, slipping the notebook into his coat. He didn't know just where he was going, but he knew one thing: Near was no longer a problem for him, and Kira soon wouldn't be, either. He just couldn't understand why he didn't try taking the notebook sooner. It was probably the most sane thing he felt he ever did, in his warped, twisted mind.

----------------------------------------(End Chapter)

Well, looks like Giovanni sure showed Near! It's just too bad no one was actually trying to kill the deranged SPK member. I originally started this because I thought it'd be funny to see just how far Giovanni would go if he thought everyone else in the SPK wanted him dead. It ended up much longer than I thought, but I still think it turned out okay. It's too bad all three successors died, though. What's amazing is that Rester actually managed to live even though Giovanni thought he was against him, too. Basically, this is my idea of what might have happened, if Giovanni went completely ballistic from touching the Death Note. I hope you enjoyed reading it, and hopefully my next one-shot won't be nearly as long. So, click that Review button!


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